The present invention relates to an anisotropic conductive film and a production system thereof, and display apparatus using the anisotropic conductive film, and particularly, to a display apparatus by which the user can directly write characters or figures onto the display, or can erase characters or figures displayed on the display, and to the anisotropic conductive film which can be appropriately applied for the display apparatus, and a production method thereof.
Recently, as a display panel having the flexibility, a display panel called xe2x80x9ctoner displayxe2x80x9d is remarked (refer to Nikkei Business, vol. Apr. 10, 2000, p. 92-p. 96). The toner display has the structure in which the electrophoresis layer in which the conductive toner is filled, is sandwiched by the upper electrode and the lower electrode which are formed matrix-like, and by using the drive circuit, when the voltage is applied across the upper electrode and the lower electrode, the conductive toner can be close to the display surface of the display, or separated from it. Thereby, on the display surface of the display, the desired character or figures can be displayed.
Such the toner display is different from the conventionally known liquid crystal display, and has the flexibility, and because the display panel itself does not require the light source, it has an excellent characteristic by which the feeling of use like as the paper can be obtained.
As described above, the toner display can obtain the feeling of use like as the paper, but, on the one hand, its content of the display is only changed according to the drive signal supplied from the drive circuit, and like as the actual paper, the user can not directly write the characters or figures on the display, or cannot erase the characters or figures displayed on the display.
Accordingly, in order to obtain the feeling of use closer to the actual paper, the display panel by which the user can directly write the characters or figures on the display, or can erase the characters or figures displayed on the display, is desired.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a display apparatus by which the user can directly write the characters or figures on the display, or can erase the characters or figures displayed on the display.
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide an anisotropic conductive film which can be appropriately applied for the display apparatus by which the user can directly write the characters or figures on the display, or can erase the characters or figures displayed on the display.
Further, yet another object of the present invention is to provide a production method of the anisotropic conductive film which can be appropriately applied for the display apparatus by which the user can directly write the characters or figures on the display, or can erase the characters or figures displayed on the display.
Such the objects of the present invention are attained by an anisotropic conductive film comprising an insulating film having a plurality of through holes penetrating from one surface to the other surface, and a conductive means which is filled up in the through holes and builds up the conductivity from the one surface to the other surface of the insulating film, wherein both of the insulating film and the conductive means are practically transparent.
According to the present invention, because both of the insulating film and the conductive means are practically transparent, the anisotropic conductive film which can be appropriately applied as the protective film provided on the display panel surface of the display apparatus by which the user can directly write the characters or figures on the display, or can erase the characters or figures displayed on the display, can be provided.
Preferably, the conductive means comprises the conductive particle and the stuffing material stuffed in the void of the through hole in which the conductive particle is buried.
Preferably, in materials constituting the insulating film, conductive particles and stuffing material, the difference of the refractive indexes between the material whose refractive index is the highest to the visible light, and the material whose refractive index is the lowest, is within 0.5.
Preferably, in materials constituting the insulating film, conductive particles and stuffing material, because the difference of the refractive indexes between the material whose refractive index is the highest to the visible light, and the material whose refractive index is the lowest, is within 0.5, the reflection of the light on these interface is effectively prevented, thereby, the transparency of the whole anisotropic conductive film can be increased.
Preferably, the refractive index to the visible light of the material constituting the stuffing material is between the refractive index to the visible light of the material constituting the insulating film and the refractive index to the visible light of the material constituting the conductive particles.
Preferably, because the refractive index to the visible light of the material constituting the stuffing material is set to a value between the refractive index to the visible light of the material constituting the insulating film and the refractive index to the visible light of the material constituting the conductive particles, the reflection of the light on the interface between the insulating film and the stuffing material and the interface between the conductive particle and the stuffing material is effectively prevented, thereby, the transparency of the whole anisotropic conductive film can be increased.
Preferably, the conductive particle is porous.
Preferably, because the conductive particle is porous, the stuffing material is stuffed also in a small hole which is possessed by the conductive particle, as the result, the conductive particle and the stuffing material can be firmly bound.
Preferably, the conductive particles are structured by one or more than 2 materials selected from a group of: indium oxide to which a minute amount of tin oxide is added (ITO); indium oxide to which a minute amount of tungsten oxide is added (IMO); tin oxide to which a minute amount of antimony oxide is added (ATO); tin oxide to which a minute amount of fluorine is added (FTO); tin oxide to which minute amounts of antimony oxide and fluorine are added (AFTO); tin oxide to which a minute amount of cadmium oxide is added (CTO); zinc oxide (ZnO2); and zinc antimonic acid (ZnO.Sb2O5)
Preferably, an opening area of one end of the through hole and an opening area of the other end are different from each other.
Preferably, because an opening area of one end of the through hole and an opening area of the other end are different from each other, when the wider side of the opening area of the through hole is for the display apparatus side, and the narrower side of the opening area of the through hole is for the user side, and is used as the protective film of the display panel which can be directly inputted by a pen, the input sensitivity can be increased.
Furthermore, the above objects of the present invention can be attained by a production method of the anisotropic conductive film, provided with: a process to form a plurality of through holes in the insulating film; a process to introduce the sol of the conductive particles into the through holes; a process to further introduce the monomer into the through holes; and a process to stuff the inside of the through holes by polymerizing the monomer.
According to the present invention, the anisotropic conductive film can be produced by a simple method.
Preferably, both of the insulating film and the conductive particle are practically transparent.
Preferably, because both of the insulating film and the conductive particle are practically transparent, the anisotropic conductive film which can be appropriately applied as a protective film provided on the display panel surface of the display apparatus in which the user can directly write characters or figures on the display, or can erase the characters or figures displayed on the display, can be produced by a simple method.
Preferably, the conductive particle has many small holes, and in a process by which the monomer is introduced into the through holes, the monomer is introduced also into small holes of the conductive particle.
Preferably, because the monomer is introduced also into small holes of the conductive particle, the conductive particle and the stuffing material are firmly bound.
Furthermore, the objects of the present invention is attained further by the display apparatus provided with: a common electrode; a transparent anisotropic conductive film; a display substance layer provided between the common electrode and the transparent anisotropic conductive film; and a drawing means by which, by abrading the surface of the transparent anisotropic conductive film, an electric field is given between the common electrode and the transparent anisotropic conductive film, in the abraded portion.
According to the present invention, in the display apparatus of a type in which the electric field is directly applied on the display substance layer by the drawing means, because the transparent anisotropic conductive film is used on the surface, the voltage to be supplied onto the common electrode or drawing means can be lowered.
Preferably, the display substance layer is formed of an electrophoresis layer in which at least the electrophoresis particles are filled.
Preferably, the display substance layer is formed of a liquid crystal layer in which at least the liquid crystal is filled.